Jolla’s SailFish OS Will Support Android Apps – And Even Hardware

While the first Jolla handsets have yet to ship just yet, we have to admit – they certainly look pretty nice. While the specs aren’t revolutionary, it is the unique Sailfish OS that really sets the phones apart from the crowd.

On the downside, Sailfish might be a unique, gesture-powered OS, but it also has a major limitations: lack of apps. The good news is that Jolla is working to address this issue by allowing Android apps to work seamlessly with the Sailfish OS.

The idea is that this will allow app developers and 3rd party Android stores to offer up tons of exciting apps to Jolla users while native apps continue to be developed. Jolla says they are still just as dedicated to native apps as ever before, but don’t want to limit their customers to the initially small pool of native apps.

To be clear, Sailfish isn’t getting Google Play. Instead, this effort is more about 3rd party stores, side-loading and developer porting.

Outside of Android app compatibility, Jolla is also touting Android device compatibility. The idea here is that devices running on Android now, can easily be tweaked by manufacturers to run Sailfish. This could prove particularly important in China, were several app makers and even smaller manufacturers have expressed potential interested in the Finnish startup’s new OS.

What do you think of Jolla, could it become a worthy rival to Android – or will adding Android support hold the handset back in a manner somewhat similar to BB10? Share your thoughts below.